To those of Room 602, all the programmes thereafter were already no longer important however lively they were.

  After the party had ended, they returned to the dormitory. Zhang Ninglang and Li Xingming had still yet to return.

  Tan Yao lit up a cigarette, “I always believed that university relationships are dependent on two things-face and shamelessness. Today, my worldview has been shaken.”


  Then, he looked around him before suddenly wailing, “Wahhh, won’t I be the only bachelor left in our 602 here then? And a bachelor for four successive years at that!”


  This dude rolled around in bed with around twenty women on average every semester. Yet, he claimed to be a bachelor. As for whether playboys did yearn for a blissful relationship, this was something that even they themselves were probably unable to answer.

  Such as whether Huang Yaming would meet another Tan Qingling or someone he liked more.

  Such as Tan Yao who already believed that he would be single these four years after having learnt that there was no hope of him getting together with Fang Chen.

  The four chatted for a while. Soon, Zhang Ninglang and Li Xingming successively returned.

  The girl with the long plait finally had a name. She was called Ning Xia (Peaceful Summer), a very interesting and special name. The girl whom Li Xingming had just met who had performed the Indian dance was called Ya Yang.

  Zhang Ninglang was just as bashful as ever. Asking him how the girl was, he said that Ning Xia was pretty good. Asking him whether they had held hands, he was rendered speechless, unintentionally revealing that they had. Next, Tan Yao asked him if they had kissed.

  Only then did he react, flusteredly waving his hands in denial, “No, definitely not. How could that ever happen so quickly?”


  Tan Yao smiled wryly, “Lil’ Bro, why do I feel that you’re mocking me?”


  Regading ‘quickness’, there were few who could compare to Tan Yao. His ‘feat of greatest glory’ was that time when he had struck up a conversation with a girl on a public bus. Seven stops later, the girl had pointed at a motel sign right beside the bus stop, “Look, what’s that?”


  And so, the two had gotten off the bus and ‘gotten a room’.

  Li Xingming replied for him, “Lil’ Bro’s not mocking you. He’s just showing off his love in front of me. He’s even held hands already. As for me, nothing. Just walking and talking. Thinking back on that smoothness, that springiness, that softness……”


  Lu Xu was focused on exchanging texts with Chick Bao.

  Old Wai said, “Yours is different from Lil’ Bro’s. You’ve got to take it slow this time.”


  “I know, I’ll definitely properly grasp my chance this time,” Li Xingming said, “Right, Tan Yao. That Yangyang, I mean Yu Yayang, she wants to enter the Student’s Union PR department. Could you help to arrange this for me?”


  Tan Yao said, “If she wants to join, can’t she just go there for an interview herself when they’ve started recruiting in a few days? It’s not like she doesn’t have the capabilities. Did she ask you to ask me for help on this?”


  Li Xingming said, “No, she just mentioned that she wanted to enter, then asked me if it would be difficult, and whether new people will get bullied. How could I not want to show her my cool side then? Anyway, since you’re doing well there already, I said that she could count on me. You’ve got to help me on this. You can’t let me lose face.”


  Tan Yao thought about it for a moment before saying, “Oh, okay. I’ll take care of this matter.”


  “Thank you, Bro Yao.”


  Li Xingming passed Tan Yao a cigarette before throwing one over to Xu Tingsheng, “Bro Xu, is that Hucheng of yours still hiring part-time students?”


  Lu Zhixin had already long since thought of dismissing all the part-time students in Hucheng. How could there be any more hiring? Xu Tingsheng shook his head, “We shoudn’t be hiring anybody else for the time being.”


  Looking a bit despondent, Li Xingming asked gloomily, “Couldn’t you make an exception?”


  Xu Tingsheng had still yet to reply when Old Wai directly interjected, “It wouldn’t be that Yangyang whom you’ve promised again already?”


  Li Xingmign chortled, “You can’t say that. She just asked about Bro Xu’s company, asking if we roommates are in it together. I just gave a general outline. Aren’t you and your family in it, Old Wai? And Lu Xu’s wife can be considered that too, I suppose? Bro Yao’s also participated quite a bit in it already. Thinking about it, there’s really only me and Lil’ Bro who’re totally uninvolved.”


  The atmosphere in the room immediately sunk.

  Li Xingming having said this out loud, it instead showed that he wasn’t scheming anything, not really caring about trying to obtain something. Still, since he had said it, it inevitably gave rise to a feeling of awkwardness. Also, while he might not be scheming anything, this did not mean that the same was true of others.

  Sensing that the atmosphere wasn’t right, Li Xingming hurriedly forced a smile, continuing, “You all understand me. How could I be concerned about this, right? Just that like Yangyang said, it’s kind of a pity. Such a good chance, and I’m not making use of this to try to improve my abilities.”


  “How would you have been in the mood to think of all that? You were out everywhere spreading your webs of love,” Xu Tingsheng laughed.

  “Right! That’s what I told her then. We’re all bros anyway, it makes no difference whether we’re in or not,” Li Xingming said.

  “And then?” Tan Yao pressed.

  “And then, Yangyang said……she said that if it were her and she had an opportunity like this, she definitely wouldn’t let it go to waste. She really wants to work to improve herself in university,” Li Xingming paused for a moment before continuing rather awkwardly, “She didn’t mention it, and I also didn’t promise her anything……I just said that I’d help her to ask about it.”


  “Not just that, right? I bet you also said, ‘Relax, we’re all bros. It’s nothing much,” Old Wai said.

  Li Xingming was that comparative simpleton of Room 602. The things he did, the way in which he spoke and handled matters-everyone could basically guess these a hundred percent. It was evident that Old Wai had been spot on as Li Xingming just smiled awkwardly, not saying a word.

  There was a long silence.

  Tan Yao advised him, “Xingming, you should really take it slow. I feel that that girl may not be as simple as you think.”


  Li Xingming did not take offense, just helping to defend her, “No, Yangyang really didn’t mention anything at all. Look, just coming in here in her first year, isn’t it very normal that she wants to enter the Student Union and improve her skills? Many people think the same way as well.”


  “She just took me as a friend and chatted with me. It was me who went on board myself. You guys know about my situation! I really want to properly grasp my chance this time.”


  Then, he said to Xu Tingsheng, “Bro Xu, don’t you feel troubled. I really go and do things without thinking sometimes. There’s no need for you to feel troubled because of me.”


  Xu Tingsheng had a premonition that it would be very troublesome for Li Xingming to associate with this Ya Yang. This was a girl who had already learnt to easily manipulate people at such a young age, and her appetite was rather huge as well.

  Yet it just happened that Li Xingming was a simpleton.

  And this simpleton actually valued loyalty greatly, treating all of them in the dorm like brothers. Whether it was when someone had come looking for a fight with Tan Yao or Xu Tingsheng had been betrayed by Huang Keshen, he always treated them as he would a brother. All of them got along very well in their daily interactions as well.

  Xu Tingsheng greatly valued these pure feelings that existed during life as a student. Also, it was indeed true that Li Xingming had been the one receiving least ‘benefits’ or ‘remuneration’ from him……yet, his path had really been rather more ‘precipitous’.

  Additionally, facing Xu Tingsheng and Tan Yao, that girl should still be inexperienced and not all that hard to deal with.

  With such considerations in mind, Xu Tingsheng told Li Xingming, “Well, no rush. Interact with that girl for a while first. If you really still find her to be good then, I’ll make the arrangements.”


  “Woah, Bro Xu! You’re my real big brother by blood!” Li Xingming rushed over, making as if to hug Xu Tingsheng.

  Xu Tingsheng immediately pushed him away, “Scram, you! You’re half a year older than me!”


  They played around for a bit. Then, Xu Tingsheng’s phone rang. Looking at it, he found that it was Lu Zhixin calling.

  Xu Tingsheng went to the small balcony and picked up the call.

  Lu Zhixin said, “Xu Tingsheng, I’m home.”


  She said that she was home, even though that was actually their company, even though it was actually just her there alone most of the time, even though she actually still had another house that was a luxurious villa.

  Sensing that she sounded fatigued and weak, Xu Tingsheng asked concernedly, “You just got home? Was it very tiring?”


  Lu Zhixin said, “I’ve been back for quite long already. I slept for a while. Xu Tingsheng, could you come home for a bit? I seem to be having a fever. I made a small ice pack to ease it a little, but it wasn’t useful at all. It’s been a long time since I was last sick. And now, I discovered all of a sudden that there’s no one I can look for……is looking for you fine? Are you able to come back?”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “Duh.”